It is mid October and the last day of our trip to Northern Portugal. We spent a few wonderful days in Porto followed by a another few in the Duoro wine region, where we had lot of great food and wine. This morning we drive from our fantastic house in Santa Marinho do Zezere back…
I have been going to Seattle regularly for work for over seven years, however I had still not taken the chance to combine a work trip with a trip to Olympic National Park. Until now....I have to be in Seattle in the middle of July, the perfect time to extend my stay and make it…
Bruges is one of Europe’s historical gems and only a 2 ½ hours drive from where I grew up and yet I had never been. I read a lot about it; I watched several movies that were filmed there, but somehow, I never made it there. But finally, this year, the stars align when my…
Seema and I decided at the spur of the moment to go on a little road trip. We wanted to hike, go winetasting and have good food. After some research, we picked Mendocino as our destination. Only a couple of hours up the coast from the Bay area, we had both not been there. It…
In January, six of us decided to hike the famous Tour de Mont Blanc trail in the Alpes. After research and discussions with Alpine Exploratory, our travel agent, we decided to only hike the northern section. Seven days, around seventy miles, from Courmayeur in Italy to Chamonix in France. August 3 was our fifth day…
We had booked a trip to Kaanapali, Maui, for Labor Day. I was looking forward to a couple of days beach, pool, dolphin trips, cocktails and good food. In summary, island living. On the morning of August 8, we heard the devastating news that a wildfire was threatening the town of Lahaina. The strong winds…
After a great trip to Oregon in 2022 for Juneteenth holiday, we decided to repeat it this year. With a new destination this time: Vancouver. We expanded it from Hiking for wine in Oregon. to a weekend of hiking and culinary adventures in Vancouver. Shannon waterfalls and Sea to the Sky trail Stawamus Chief…
The Best Picnics ever! A beautiful August evening in Redwood City, California. Hundreds of people, all dressed in white, gather in the parking lot of Canada College for a yearly tradition: le diner en blanc. This one is called "Picnic en blanc". But it is the same thing, a worldwide event, that started in Paris…
The Wicklow Way During one of our regular hikes in California, we realize that several of us will be in Europe this summer. One of the hikes that we had on our list, was the Wicklow Way in Ireland. Spontaneously, we decide to try to do it while we are all in Europe and we…
I am visiting New York in July. It is hot and humid. On the first day, we brave the heat and walk in Central Park and the Brooklyn Bridge to DUMBO. However, on Sunday, Andrea suggest we go to Governors Island to escape the heat of New York City. Fun Ways To Keep Cool …